Controlled slack coupler



I Jan. 12, 1960 F. C. KULIEKE CONTROLLED SLACK COUPLER Filed July 24, 1957 INVENTOR.

CONTROLLED SLACK COUPLER Frederick C. Kulieke, Alliance, Ohio, assignor -to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application July, 1957, Serial No. 673 827 1 Claim. (Cl. 213154) This invention relates .torailway couplers and more particularly to an improved coupler of the type-known in the railway art as a controlledslaek couplerfl The invention comprehends a coupler similanto that disclosed in Patent 2,250,993, issued July 29, 1941, to E. P. Kinne et al. 7 i

As commonly applied in railway service with the great majority of car couplers, there is a certain amount of play between mated couplers, this being generally called free slack. .The clearances resulting in this free slack are necessary in the standard coupler arrangements to permit mated couplers =to angle horizontally and vertical- 1y. A certain amount of clearance has. also been provided in such arrangements to permit satisfactory operation of the parts in coupling.

The controlled slack coupler has been found particularly desirable for use on rolling stock such as passenger cars where it is necessary to eliminate, as far as possible, all play between the mated parts in order to facilitate the handling of the train in a manner conducive to the comfort of the passengers. Additionally, in recent years, there has been a demand in the art to eliminate shocks and jerks which often accompany coupling and uncoupling where such operations occur most frequently, that is, in railway yards where rolling stock is shuttled from one track to another. To satisfy this desire, controlled slack couplers have been installed on many of the switch engines utilized in railway yards. Obviously, a coupling mechanism utilized on a switch engine must operate satisfactorily with all types of standard coupler units employed on the various types of railway rolling stock.

As may be readily seen from an examination of the above referred to Kinne patent, a distinguishing feature of the controlled slack coupler is that the guard arm of the controlled slack coupler has a pocket in which'is disposed a spring loaded plunger mechanism engageable with and received in a complementary formed pocket of a mating coupler. Experience with controlled slack couplers has disclosed a serious problem in connection with their operation. It appears that after relatively short periods of service, foreign matter such as dirt, grease, water and ice accumulate in the rear of the plunger pockets and tend to impair the functioning of the spring and plunger mechanism.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide, in a controlled slack coupler of this type, a guard arm having a pocket in which is received part of a spring loaded plunger mechanism, the remainder of which is received within a pocket of a mating coupler.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a controlled slack coupler, means to prevent the accumulation of foreign matter in the plunger pockets of the coupler head, and means to accommodate the evacuation or removal of foreign matter therefrom.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a controlled slack coupler wherein the coupler head presents a passageway extending through the floor of 2,920,771 Batented Jan. 12, 1960 "ice the plunger pocket and communicating.with the interior .of the pocket.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of thevfollowing description and drawing wherein: p

' Figure l is a fragmentarytopplan view of a portion of a controlled slack coupler embodying. featuresof my invention; i

Figure Z is a front elevational view of;the structure illustrated in Figure 1, and

FigureB. is a fragmentarysectionalview taken on line '33 of Figure l. Y a

It will beunderstood that certain elements have been eliminated fromcertain views where they are believed to be illustrated more clearly in other views. A

Referring nowv to thedrawin'g'fo'r a better understanding of the invention,-it'.will be .seen that the coupler comprises ahead indicated generally at 10 which is formed integrally with theforward end of a shank 12. The head 10 as best seen in Figure 1 is somewhat box-shaped having a knuckle 1-4 pivoted thereto for rotation about a vertical axis 16, and presents, adjacent the knuckle, cavity 18, adapted to receive a knuckle of a mating coupler.

Still referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the head has formed integrally therewith and projecting outwardly and forwardly therefrom, a pair of wings 20 and 22, respectively, the wing 20 being much larger than wing 22 and being known as the guard arm portion of the coupler head.

As best seen in Figure 3, the wing or guard arm 20 comprises upper, lower, and rear walls 24, 2-6, and 28, respectively, which are interconnected by inner and outer side walls 30 and 32, respectively, and which define therebetween a pocket 34 open at the forward end of the coupler.

The wing 2 also includes upper, lower, and rear Walls 36, '38, and 40, respectively, which are interconnected by inner and outer side walls 42 and 44, respectively, and which define therebetween a pocket 46 also open at the forward end of the coupler. Disposed within guard arm pocket 34 is a spring load plunger mechanism, indicated generally at-48, which comprises a plunger 50 and springs '52 compressibly interposed between spring seats 53 of rear pocket wall 28 and spring seats 54 presented by the plunger.

As explained in detail in the Kinne patent, the function of the plunger mechanism 48 is to engage a complementary pocket of a mating coupler, which pocket is similar to the wing pocket '22 of this coupler head, to maintain a snug resilient slack free connection between the couplers.

Aa best seen in Figure 3, the lower wall or floor 26 of guard arm pocket 34 is provided with an aperture or passageway 56 extending therethrough and communicating with the atmosphere. Although the aperture may be located in other walls of the pocket or in various other places on the walls, I have found that for best results the preferable location for the aperture is in the center portion of the floor 26 at the rear of the pocket near rear wall 28. Although this invention is primarily concerned with the provision of a guard arm pocket aperture, it is to be understood that provisions may also be made for a similar aperture in the floor or lower wall 38 of the lug pocket and its function would be the same as that of the aperture of the guard arm pocket floor.

In operation it will be understood that as the plunger 50 is driven back into the guard arm pocket when the coupler mates with a similar coupler, the rear face 58 of the plunger operates to push any foreign matter which has accumulated in the pocket toward the rear of the pocket and out of the pocket through the aperture '56.

A controlled slack coupler comprising: a coupler head having a knuckle pivoted thereto and having adjacent said knuckle a cavityfor receiving a knuckle of a mating coupler; saidhead having at opposite sides thereof integrally formed wings each including top, bottom, side, and rear walls defining therebetween an enclosed pocket open only toward the forward end of the coupler, said rear wall presenting a forwardly facing vertical surface in said pocket; a plunger mechanism partially disposed within one of said pockets, said plunger mechanism including a plunger having a rear portion received within said one pocket and having extending from said rear portion a forward portion protruding forwardly out of said one pocket and receivable within a corresponding pocket of the mating coupler, said rear portion presenting a rearwardly facing vertical surface spaced from the forwardly facing surface presented bythe rear wall of said one pocket, said plunger being operable to close the open end of said one pocket, and resilient means compressibly interposed between the rear wall of said one pocket and I claim:.

the rear portion of said plunger, said resilient means being operable to move said plunger forwardly in said one pocket and thereby urge the forward portion of the plunger into the related pocket of the mating coupler; the lower wall of said one pocket having extending vertically therethrough an opening communicating with said one pocket and with the atmosphere, at least a portion of said opening being located between the respective vertical surfaces of the plunger and said one pocket rear wall when the plunger is in its rearwardmost position to allow foreign matter which has accumulated in said one pocket to fall by the force of gravity out of said one pocket after it has been pushed over said opening by the rearward movement of said plunger.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

